Isaiah 58
ืืฉืขืืื ืคืจืง ื ืดื
Section: ื ืืืืื ยท ื ืืืืื ืืืจืื ืื | Book: Isaiah | Chapter: 58 of 66 | Day: 205 of 742
Date: September 4, 2026
ืงืืืื ืขื ืื ืดื
Isaiah 58 is one of the most quoted and most demanding chapters in all of Neviโim, and its liturgical placement tells us how the tradition read it: it is the haftarah of Yom Kippur morning, chanted immediately after the Torah reading of the avodah of the Day of Atonement. On the single day of the year when the entire community is fasting, Israel hears a prophet ordered to cry out with full throat, without restraint, like a shofar (ืงืจื ืืืจืื ืื ืชืืฉืื ืืฉืืคืจ ืืจื ืงืืื), and to declare to the people their transgression. The shofar image is deliberate. The instrument that summons Israel to repentance is here the prophetโs own voice, and what it announces is not comfort but indictment. Rashi, characteristically, refuses to let the two halves of the verse be mere poetic parallelism: โMy peopleโ are the talmidei chachamim, whose inadvertent errors count as deliberate transgressions because an error in learning is reckoned as willful sin, while โthe house of Jacobโ are the unlearned, whose deliberate sins are counted as inadvertent. The chapterโs rebuke, in other words, is calibrated to every level of the community.
The opening of the indictment is a masterpiece of prophetic irony. These are not idolaters or scoffers. They seek God daily and desire knowledge of His ways (ืืืืชื ืืื ืืื ืืืจืฉืื); they ask for righteous judgments and delight in the nearness of God. The trap is the small word โlikeโ in โlike a nation that did righteousnessโ (ืืืื ืืฉืจ ืฆืืงื ืขืฉื) - they resemble such a nation without being one. Radak sharpens this into a general principle: one who actually does righteousness and justice may fittingly inquire how to do more, but one who does not do them only doubles his sin by inquiring, since in his very asking he compounds his guilt. Then comes the peopleโs own complaint, quoted in their voice: why did we fast and You did not see, why did we afflict ourselves and You take no notice? Godโs reply is devastatingly concrete. On the very day of your fast you pursue your business and press your debtors (ืืื ืขืฆืืืื ืชื ืืฉื). Rashi reads ืขืฆืืืื as creditorsโ victims, the debtors grieved on your account, whom you dun on the fast day itself, and Radak fills in the social scene: the fast day is precisely when the whole town assembles, so it is the ideal day to corner a debtor and squeeze him. The fast has become an instrument of oppression.
At verse five the chapter reaches its hinge, framed as a series of interrogatives: is this the fast I choose (ืืืื ืืืื ืฆืื ืืืืจืื), a day for a person to afflict himself, to bend his head like a bulrush (ืืืืืฃ ืืืืืื ืจืืฉื) and spread out sackcloth and ashes? Rashi notes that these opening heys are interrogative, and explains the ืืืืื as a bent reed or hook. The answer in verse six inverts every term: this is the fast I choose - to loosen the fetters of wickedness (ืคืชื ืืจืฆืืืืช ืจืฉืข), to untie the bands of the yoke, to send the oppressed free, to break every yoke. Verse seven descends from the structural to the intimate: to break your bread for the hungry, to bring the wretched poor into your house, to clothe the naked, and not to hide from your own flesh (ืืืืฉืจื ืื ืชืชืขืื). Rashi glosses ืืืืฉืจื simply as โyour kinsman,โ and Radak draws the halachic implication that while feeding the hungry and clothing the naked is an obligation upon all Israel, one bears a heavier obligation toward a relative, and must not avert his eyes until the relative is reduced to begging, but rather extend him a loan and open paths by which he can earn. The prophet is not abolishing the fast; he is insisting that a day of self-affliction that leaves the debtor, the servant and the destitute exactly where they were is not the fast God chose.
The reward oracle that follows, verses eight through twelve, is built entirely of images of light, water and rebuilding. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn (ืื ืืืงืข ืืฉืืจ ืืืจื) and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness goes before you and the glory of the Lord gathers you in. Then you will call and the Lord will answer, you will cry out and He will say hineni - the same word Avraham and Moshe say to God, now spoken by God to a repaired Israel. If you draw out your soul to the hungry, your light will shine in darkness and your gloom become like noon. Rashiโs brief comment on ืืชืคืง ืืจืขื ื ืคืฉื is worth pausing over: it is not only bread but โconsolations of good wordsโ - the manner of giving matters as much as the gift, a point Radak develops into the requirement of a cheerful face so the recipient knows the gift is given willingly. The promise culminates in the extraordinary title of verse twelve, that Israel will be called โrepairer of the breach, restorer of paths for dwellingโ (ืืืืจ ืคืจืฅ ืืฉืืื ื ืชืืืืช ืืฉืืช), which Rashi, following Targum Yonatan, reads as restoring the wicked to Torah - the settlement of the world depends on it.
The final two verses turn from the fast to the Sabbath, and they have become the foundational text of the halachah of oneg Shabbat. If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight (ืืงืจืืช ืืฉืืช ืขืื ื), the Lordโs holy day honored, and honor it by not going your own ways, not pursuing your affairs, and not speaking of them (ืืืืจ ืืืจ) - then you shall delight in the Lord, and He will set you astride the heights of the earth and feed you the heritage of Jacob your father. Radakโs comment here is essentially a compact halachic essay, gathering the derivations of Chazal from this single verse: that one honors Shabbat with clothing different from weekday clothing, walking different from weekday walking, and speech different from weekday speech, that one may transact matters of mitzvah on Shabbat since only โyour affairsโ are forbidden, and that the phrase โholy of the Lord, honoredโ was also read as referring to Yom Kippur, honored with clean garments since it has neither eating nor drinking. Rashi on the closing verse explains why the inheritance is specifically that of Jacob and not Abraham: Jacobโs promise was a heritage without boundaries, โyou shall spread west and east,โ and Jacob himself kept the Sabbath. That a chapter which opens with a shofar blast of rebuke ends with delight, boundless inheritance, and the seal โfor the mouth of the Lord has spokenโ is the whole argument of Isaiah 58 in miniature: the ritual is not the enemy of the ethical, but it is worthless without it, and when the two are joined, the fast becomes light and the Sabbath becomes joy.
ืคืจืง ื ืดื ยท Chapter 58
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1
Hebrew:
ืงึฐืจึธึคื ืึฐืึธืจืึนืึ ืึทืึพืชึผึทืึฐืฉืึนึืึฐ ืึผึทืฉืึผืึนืคึธึืจ ืึธืจึตึฃื ืงืึนืึถึืึธ ืึฐืึทืึผึตึคื ืึฐืขึทืึผึดืึ ืคึผึดืฉืึฐืขึธึื ืึผืึฐืึตึฅืืช ืึทืขึฒืงึนึื ืึทืึผึนืืชึธึฝืื
English:
Cry with full throat, without restraint; Raise your voice like a ramโs horn! Declare to My people their transgression, To the House of Jacob their sin.
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 2
Hebrew:
ืึฐืืึนืชึดึื ืึฅืึนื ืืึนืึ ืึดืึฐืจึนืฉืึืึผื ืึฐืึทึฅืขึทืช ืึผึฐืจึธืึทึื ืึถืึฐืคึผึธืฆึืึผื ืึผึฐืึืึนื ืึฒืฉืึถืจึพืฆึฐืึธืงึธึฃื ืขึธืฉืึธึื ืึผืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึทึคื ืึฑืึนืึธืืึ ืึนึฃื ืขึธืึธึื ืึดืฉืึฐืึธืึืึผื ึดืึ ืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึฐืึตืึพืฆึถึืึถืง ืงึดืจึฐืึทึฅืช ืึฑืึนืึดึืื ืึถืึฐืคึผึธืฆึฝืึผืื
English:
To be sure, they seek Me daily, Eager to learn My ways. Like a nation that does what is right, That has not abandoned the laws of its God, They ask Me for the right way, They are eager for the nearness of God:
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 3
Hebrew:
ืึธึคืึผึธื ืฆึผึทึืึฐื ืึผึ ืึฐืึนึฃื ืจึธืึดึืืชึธ ืขึดื ึผึดึฅืื ืึผ ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึตึื ืึผ ืึฐืึนึฃื ืชึตืึธึืข ืึตึฃื ืึผึฐืึคืึนื ืฆึนึฝืึฐืึถืึ ืชึผึดืึฐืฆึฐืืึผึพืึตึืคึถืฅ ืึฐืืืึพืขึทืฆึผึฐืึตืืึถึื ืชึผึดื ึฐืึผึนึฝืฉืืึผื
English:
โWhy, when we fasted, did You not see? When we starved our bodies, did You pay no heed?โ Because on your fast day You see to your business And oppress all your laborers!
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 4
Hebrew:
ืึตึฃื ืึฐืจึดึคืื ืึผืึทืฆึผึธืึ ืชึผึธืฆึืึผืืึผ ืึผืึฐืึทืึผึืึนืช ืึผึฐืึถืึฐืจึนึฃืฃ ืจึถึืฉืึทืข ืึนืึพืชึธืฆึฃืึผืืึผ ืึทืึผึืึนื ืึฐืึทืฉืึฐืึดึฅืืขึท ืึผึทืึผึธืจึืึนื ืงืึนืึฐืึถึฝืื
English:
Because you fast in strife and contention, And you strike with a wicked fist! Your fasting today is not such As to make your voice heard on high.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 5
Hebrew:
ืึฒืึธืึถึื ืึดึฝืึฐืึถืึ ืฆึฃืึนื ืึถืึฐืึธืจึตึืืึผ ืึืึนื ืขึทื ึผึฅืึนืช ืึธืึธึื ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึืึน ืึฒืึธืึนึจืฃ ืึผึฐืึทืึฐืึนึื ืจึนืืฉืึืึน ืึฐืฉืึทึคืง ืึธืึตึืคึถืจึ ืึทืฆึผึดึืืขึท ืึฒืึธืึถืึ ืชึผึดืงึฐืจึธืึพืฆึืึนื ืึฐืึฅืึนื ืจึธืฆึืึนื ืึทืืึนืึธึฝืื
English:
Is such the fast I desire, A day for people to starve their bodies? Is it bowing the head like a bulrush And lying in sackcloth and ashes? Do you call that a fast, A day when GOD is favorable?
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 6
Hebrew:
ืึฒืึฃืึนื ืึถืึฎ ืฆึฃืึนื ืึถืึฐืึธืจึตึืืึผึ ืคึผึทืชึผึตึืึทึ ืึทืจึฐืฆึปืึผึฃืึนืช ืจึถึืฉืึทืข ืึทืชึผึตึืจ ืึฒืึปืึผึฃืึนืช ืืึนืึธึื ืึฐืฉืึทืึผึทึคื ืจึฐืฆืึผืฆึดืืึ ืืืคึฐืฉืึดึืื ืึฐืืืึพืืึนืึธึื ืชึผึฐื ึทืชึผึตึฝืงืึผื
English:
No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock fetters of wickedness, And untie the cords of the yoke To let the oppressed go free; To break off every yoke.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 7
Hebrew:
ืึฒืึจืึนื ืคึธืจึนึคืก ืึธืจึธืขึตืึ ืึทืึฐืึถึืึธ ืึทืขึฒื ึดืึผึดึฅืื ืึฐืจืึผืึดึืื ืชึผึธึฃืึดืื ืึธึืึดืช ืึผึดึฝืึพืชึดืจึฐืึถึคื ืขึธืจึนืึ ืึฐืึดืกึผึดืืชึืึน ืึผืึดืึผึฐืฉืึธืจึฐืึธึ ืึนึฅื ืชึดืชึฐืขึทืึผึธึฝืื
English:
It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe them, And not to ignore your own kin.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 8
Hebrew:
ืึธึฃื ืึดืึผึธืงึทึคืข ืึผึทืฉืึผึทึืึทืจึ ืืึนืจึถึืึธ ืึทืึฒืจึปึฝืึธืชึฐืึธึ ืึฐืึตืจึธึฃื ืชึดืฆึฐืึธึื ืึฐืึธืึทึคืึฐ ืึฐืคึธื ึถึืืึธึ ืฆึดืึฐืงึถึืึธ ืึผึฐืึฅืึนื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึทืึทืกึฐืคึถึฝืึธื
English:
Then shall your light burst through like the dawn And your healing spring up quickly; Your Vindicator shall march before you, The Presence of GOD shall be your rear guard.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 9
Hebrew:
ืึธึคื ืชึผึดืงึฐืจึธืึ ืึทืืึนืึธึฃื ืึทืขึฒื ึถึื ืชึผึฐืฉืึทืึผึทึืข ืึฐืึนืืึทึฃืจ ืึดื ึผึตึื ึดื ืึดืึพืชึผึธืกึดึคืืจ ืึดืชึผึฝืึนืึฐืึธึ ืืึนืึธึื ืฉืึฐืึทึฅื ืึถืฆึฐืึผึทึืข ืึฐืึทืึผึถืจึพืึธึฝืึถืื
English:
Then, when you call, GOD will answer; When you cry, [God] will say: Here I am. If you banish the yoke from your midst, The menacing hand, and evil speech,
ืคืกืืง ืืณ ยท Verse 10
Hebrew:
ืึฐืชึธืคึตึคืง ืึธึฝืจึธืขึตืึ ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึถึืึธ ืึฐื ึถึฅืคึถืฉื ื ึทืขึฒื ึธึื ืชึผึทืฉืึฐืึผึดึืืขึท ืึฐืึธืจึทึคื ืึผึทืึนึืฉืึถืึฐึ ืืึนืจึถึืึธ ืึทืึฒืคึตืึธืชึฐืึธึ ืึผึทึฝืฆึผืืึณืจึธึฝืึดืื
English:
And you offer your compassion to the hungry And satisfy the famished creatureโ Then shall your light shine in darkness, And your gloom shall be like noonday.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 11
Hebrew:
ืึฐื ึธืึฒืึธึฃ ืึฐืึนืึธืึฎ ืชึผึธืึดืืึ ืึฐืึดืฉืึฐืึผึดึคืืขึท ืึผึฐืฆึทืึฐืฆึธืืึนืชึ ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึถึืึธ ืึฐืขึทืฆึฐืึนืชึถึืืึธ ืึทืึฒืึดึืืฅ ืึฐืึธืึดึืืชึธึ ืึผึฐืึทึฃื ืจึธืึถึื ืึผืึฐืืึนืฆึธึฃื ืึทึืึดื ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืึนึฝืึพืึฐืึทืึผึฐืึืึผ ืึตืืึธึฝืืื
English:
GOD will guide you alwaysโ Slaking your thirst in parched places And giving strength to your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, Like a spring whose waters do not fail.
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 12
Hebrew:
ืึผืึธื ึคืึผ ืึดืึผึฐืึธึ ืืืจึฐืึฃืึนืช ืขืึนืึธึื ืืึนืกึฐืึตึฅื ืืึนืจึพืึธืึืึนืจ ืชึผึฐืงืึนืึตึื ืึฐืงึนืจึธึคื ืึฐืึธึ ืึผึนืึตึฃืจ ืคึผึถึืจึถืฅ ืึฐืฉืึนืึตึฅื ื ึฐืชึดืืึืึนืช ืึธืฉืึธึฝืึถืชื
English:
Some from your midst shall rebuild ancient ruins, You shall restore foundations laid long ago. And you shall be called โRepairer of fallen walls, Restorer of lanes for habitation.โ
โถCommentaries (1)
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 13
Hebrew:
ืึดืึพืชึผึธืฉืึดึคืื ืึดืฉืึผึทืึผึธืชึ ืจึทืึฐืึถึืึธ ืขึฒืฉืึฅืึนืช ืึฒืคึธืฆึถึืึธ ืึผึฐืึฃืึนื ืงืืึฐืฉืึดึื ืึฐืงึธืจึธึจืืชึธ ืึทืฉืึผึทืึผึธึืช ืขึนึื ึถื ืึดืงึฐืึคืึนืฉื ืึฐืึนืึธืึ ืึฐืึปืึผึธึื ืึฐืึดืึผึทืึฐืชึผืึนึ ืึตืขึฒืฉืึฃืึนืช ืึผึฐืจึธืึถึืืึธ ืึดืึผึฐืฆึฅืึนื ืึถืคึฐืฆึฐืึธึ ืึฐืึทืึผึตึฅืจ ืึผึธืึธึฝืจื
English:
If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, From pursuing your affairs on My holy day; If you call the sabbath โdelight,โ GOD โs holy day โhonoredโ; And if you honor it and go not your ways Nor look to your affairs, nor strike bargainsโ
ืคืกืืง ืืดื ยท Verse 14
Hebrew:
ืึธึื ืชึผึดืชึฐืขึทื ึผึทืึ ืขึทืึพืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึฐืึดืจึฐืึผึทืึฐืชึผึดึืืึธ ืขึทืึพ[ืึผึธึฃืึณืชึตื] (ืืืืชื) ืึธึืจึถืฅ ืึฐืึทืึฒืึทืึฐืชึผึดึืืึธ ื ึทืึฒืึทืชึ ืึทืขึฒืงึนึฃื ืึธืึดึืืึธ ืึผึดึื ืคึผึดึฅื ืึฐืึนืึธึื ืึผึดืึผึตึฝืจืย {ืค}
English:
Then you can seek GODโs favor. I will set you astride the heights of the earth, And let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacobโ For GODโs mouth has spoken.
โถCommentaries (1)